Improved fxtnching-machine



i "WrLLiAZM,cHURcHlLL, or sT. Louis, lvnssonnr.d

"1 1 INIPROVED PUNCHINGMACHINE.

' LammV Param No. 89,851, daad May 11, 1869.

` The Schedule `referred to in these Letters Patent and making 4part of the same,

To all whom it concern Y i Be it known that I, WILLLAMCHUROHILL, of St. Louis, in the countyof St. L0uis,.and State of Missouri, have made certain new and luseful Improvements in Machines for Punching and Straightening Bars of Iron and Similar Metals; and I do hereby declare thatv the following is a full and clear description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings", and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of this invention relates to the adaptation of guidingand straightening-plates, in such position, with reference to Ithe die of a punching-machine, that said straightening-plates shall not only keep the barsvwhich are being punched true and straight, but that in the compressive action performed in punching, the bars lshall be made true, if sprung or curved on their longitudinal edges; and the nature hereof relates, furthermore, to such an arrangement of the take-oli, or frog, which is used ordinarily to strip the punched barofllthe punch, when the latter is on the up-stroke, as will again true the plate which is being punched by straightening its horizontal snrfaces and the' special advantage hereof is in prevent-` ing the usual very tight engagemeutof the bent, or curved plate on the punch itself, while the general advantage of the several features of this invention is in avoiding the usually necessary process of straightening and truing up the bars after punching.

To enable those skilled in these arts to make and use my said improvements, `I will now describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying Figure 1 as a front elevation, and .Figure 2 as a sideA elevation, and

Figure 3 as central sectional elevation, showing the `adaptation of my said improvements to the ordinary punching-machines.

I 'construct the housing, or frame A, ofthe usual form, and generally of cast-iron, supporting in and upon said frame the operating parts hereinafter described. i f

The driving-shaft B runs centrally across the frame i A, being journalled therein in the usual manner. Said shaft is driven ,by gearing, in any of the usualvmo'des. `At the forwardvend of said shaft B is the drivingeccentric C, which produces a reciprocating motion of the slide D. f e

` This slide is guided in V-sliaped side slides of the housing A, in the usual manner.

A front plate, E, may be arranged on the slide D,

secured by screws e, so that when removed the wearing-surfaces of the eccentric C and slide D may be` On the lower part of the housing A, I support the die-block H. This` carries the Adie h, the block and die being'arranged withv the vusual vertical slot for discharge ofthe punchings or chips. The upper surface of the die fh. will usually be vrounded orA otherwise shaped, to conform to the surface of the plate which is to be punched, and to give the samea irm support.

lllhe set-screws hf are arranged for adjusting the die laterally in its position in the vertical line. of traverseV of thepunch.

It is well known that ordinarily, in punching metallic plates', owing to various causes-such as inequalities in the texture of the material, unequal support of the plate while beingpunched, unequal lubrication during the cutting, `Sac-the punched plate warps and springs, and these plates must therefore ordinarily be straightened after punching. To avoid lsaid warping and springing, I have arranged in the manner following:

Inthe direction of the greatest length of `the plate to be punched, and usually in the direction of the line l of motion' in which the plate is moved forward in punching the consecutive holes, I arrange the straighteningplates I., Iheseare usually of steel, andare secured adjustably in the die-block HV by set-screw i, tting nicely to the longitudinal edges of the punched plate.

The said plates I, have slightly bevelled inner edges,

. and'may be of any other form of edge corresponding to the adj acent bearing-edge of the plate to be punched.

As the punch descends, the plate thereunder. is, pressed between said guide-plates I, being straightened and held in its correct form whileunder the action of the punch. 4

When the punch rises, the plate must be stripped off of it. This is done bythe take-off, or frog K, which is hinged to the. main frame at k, and is arranged with the weightsk, in order that it may remain up, and allow a new .plate to be inserted, or vthe punched plate to be moved as required.v

The said frog K has two prongs k2, which are arranged like forks about the punch F; and to prevent the prongs k2 from rising too high, the lip k3 is arranged on the upper edge of K, so that it may strike the frame A, and' being then prevented from rising higher, the punch will withdraw from the punched plate in its further upward motion. Y

In order, however, that the plate being punched, may not bend, I arrange the prongs It? so that the slide D, in passing down, and forcing the punch through the plate, shall press the said prongs upon lthe plate being punched, and thus hold it from springing.

In order that these parts may be adj usted to various sizes of plate, lining-strips of thin sheet-iron may he placed on the upper edges ot' the prongs k2,

lt will be seen, then, that in punching the ordinary flat bar-iron, the longitudinal edges will be held true bythe guide-plates I, and that these plates, under the compressive notion ofthe punch'F and the prongs llc, will moreover act to straighten and true upany werps, or bends which might be originally in suoh bars; and, again, the prongs k will not only straighten the Het surfaces of the plete being punched, but will hold it in a true horizontal position, thus preventing the plate from bending on the punch, and tightening on it at the upper plateeurfalce, and thus it becomes easy to strip the said plates from the punch in the upstroke thereof.

The latter consideration is important, since a bent plate is forced tightly around the punch, on its upper surface, so that it requires great power to strip" the (plate. oil". 5

The special application of the said inventionis in punching the tie or fish-bars now used in the flocalled fish-joint for ralilroad-rails, but the general application is to all similar Work of punching.

Hsu/ing thus fully described my said invention,

Whalt I claim, is-

1, The hinged and weighted take-off K, and its prongs k, operating with the slide D to hold the plate when being punched, substantially als set forth.

2. The die h, straightening-plates I, punch F, and gehe-off K, arranged and combined substantially asset orth.

Witnesses: WM. CHURCHILL.

GEO. P. HEBTHEL, Jr., WM. W. HEBTHEL. 

